Citizens Mobilize to Stop Rumored Smelter

A petition campaign has been started in eastern Missouri’s Crystal City in the face of a rumor that an iron smelter is being planned for the town. Backers of the petition want to keep the Wings Iron Mining Company of Sullivan from putting its smelter on the site of an old glass factory.

A spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources says he does not know of any applications to build such a plant. City officials are not commenting on the possibility, although they’ve scheduled a town meeting Wednesday night at the high school to let the public talk about the issue.